Apparatus for refining crude petroleum



N01 5 1929. F. a. FHNG ET AL 1,734,880

APPARATUS FOR REFINING CRUDE ETROLEUM Filed Aug. 27,

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ahdimib ATTORNEYS W/ F. G. RENE ET AL APPARATUS FOR REFIN ING CRUDEPETROLEUM Filed Aug. 27, 1924 Sheets-Sheet 2 Grade-06b 406222142215 wed15215222101113.

INVENTORS Patented N ov. 5, 1929 UNI-TEDISTATEVS PATENT OFFICE FREDERICKGAR'IHEWAITE RING, OF WINCHESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, AND PERCY GEORGE PARIS,F BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA; SAID PARIS ASSIGNOR TO BETH- LEHEM STEELCOMPANY arrnnarus ron 'nsrrnmo CRUDE r'nrnotnum Application filed Austa, 1924. Serial at. 734,867.

This invention relates to an apparatus for the continuous removal of lowboiling point hydrocarbon oils and water from a crude petroleum, priorto the complete distillation of the main body of the crude product.

The object of this invention is to provide an apparatus adapted toeffect in a simple'and efliclent manner the removal of water and of acertain proportion of light oils from a crude petroleum, prior tosubmitting said petroleum to fractional distillation in the usualmanner. I

A further object of this invention is to effect this removal, withoutimpairing the qualities of the oils removed nor of the residualconstituents, due to their prolonged contact with each other at hightemperatures.

A further object of this invention is to effect theevaporation of thelight oils from a crude petroleum under conditions of heat.

economy, by distributing the oil so as to attain the maximum of exposedsurface thereof and by using the waste heat of the products ofdistillation to preheat the oil to a point substantially equivalent tothe vaporizlng temperature of thelight oils to be separated.

Referring to the drawings, we show:

In Fig. 1 an elevation in cross section of the evaporating tower;

In Fig.2 a plan view in cross section of an upper portion of the toweracross IIII in F1 1,

I n Fig. 3 a plan view in cross section at IIIIII in Fig. 1;

In Fig. 4.- we show a diagrammatic illustration of the eva orating towerin combination with stills, pre eaters, and a condensing system.

In Fig.6 we show diagrammatically an eva orating tower in combinationwith a dehy rator or pipe still for removing a large excess of waterfrom the crude oil-prior to fractional distillation. I

Referring to Fig. 1, we show a vertical cylindrical shell 11 of steelplate construction, having upper and lower manholes 12 1 and 13, a vaporoutlet 14 in the upper part of the tower and an oil outlet 15in the basethereof. In the tower, at a point slightly above its mid he gh we show aT-shaped crude oil distributor 16 having horizontal slots 17. Below thisdistributor a seriesof shallow trough plates 21 of rectangular sectionare arranged in cascadeformatlon, being evenly spaced from each other,so as to'cause 5 the oil to flow downwards from the distributor in azigzag stream. The shape ofthe V trough plates 21 is such as to providevapor Y clearances between their lateral edges and the tower 11. In theupper part of the tower above the distributor 16, aseries of perforatedcircular baffle plates 22 are provided, said plates 21 land theperforated plates 22 are their perforations progressively reduced indiameter the higher their position in the tower. Above the uppermostplate but below the vapor outlet 14 a substantial layer of porous tilepacking 20is provided. The trough plates 21 and the perforated plates 22are suitably supported in the tower by angles 23 and cross members 24.The tower is designed to be supported by four peripheral lugs 18 rivetedto it at a point about one-third of its height, two guy lugs 19 rivetedto the top of the tower being also provided.

At the bottom of the tower a perforated steam coil 25 is provided forthe injection of low pressure exhaust steam, a vacuum relief valve 26 isalso shown at the upper end of the tower shell. I

In Fig. 4, we show the tower inlet 16 connected to heat interchangers orpreheaters 28, the vapor outlet 14 leading to a surface condenser 29'andthe bottom outlet 15 connected to a battery of externally fired stills30 having pipes 32 for the admission of steam. The vapors ofdistillation from the stills are condensed in fractional condensers 31of the usual type. The hot oil residuum from the last still passesthrough the heat interchangers or residuum coolers 28 and serves topreheat the crude oil. Said crude oil also passes through the surfacecondenser 29 and the fractional condensers 31.

The operation of this tower is as follows: The crude oil receives apreliminary heating during its passage through the condenser 29 and thecondensers 31. The oil is further heated in the heat interchanger 28 tothe va porizing temperature of its more volatile .con-

stituents. It enters the tower through the distributor 16 and spreadsover the upper trough 21 from which it overflows in cascade fashion toeach lower trough in turn. The exhaust steam entering at the bottom ofthe towerby the perforated coil 25 helps to maintain the oil at therequired temperature. Owing to the arrangement of the rectangular battletroughs the oil presents a substantial area to surface evaporation, withthe re sult that the lighter oils and any water present are vaporizedand are removed from the crude oil. The vapors ascend the tower in thefree space provided between the surface of the flowing oil stream andthe tower shell, whereby contact of these vapors'with the oil stream isreduced to the shortest period of time. The unvaporized portion of thecrude oil passes through the outlet to the stills 30. The vaporized oilpasses up through the perforated plates 22 and the tower packing 20, thescrubbing action of which is intended to effect the separation of anyimpurities entrained by the vaporized oil. After leaving the tower bythe outlet 14 the vaporized oil passes to the surface condenser 29, inwhich the condensation of the tower vapors and a preliminary heating ofthe crude oil is effected. As an appreciable degree of vacuum may becreated in the tower during the evaporation of the light oils, a vacuumrelief valve 26 is provided at the top of the tower.

The distillation of the unvaporized oil from 35 the tower outlet 15 iseffected in the usual manner by its passage through a series ofexternally fired stills 30 at progressively increasing stilltemperatures in contact with .live steam admitted by the pipes 32. Thedistillates from each still are separated in the fractional condensers31 in the usual manner. The final residuum from the last still is passedto the heat interchangers or preheaters 28 in order to provide the heatnecessary to effect the subsequent evaporation in the tower 11 of themore volatile constituents of the crude oil. Prior to its passagethrough said prcheaters the crude oil is circulated through thecondensers 29 and the condensers 31 wherein it is substantially heated.

For example, a vaporizing tower embodying the features of this inventionmay be of fectively utilized in the treatment of a crude oil ofapproximately 23 Be. This oil enters the system at 70 F. and may beraised to a temperature of 257 F. by heat interchange with the vaporsfrom the tower and from the crude stills, and may be further heated to362 F. by heat interchange with the final still residuum. Thosecomponents of the oil entering the tower at this temperature,volatilizable at and below said temperature, may be removed in the towerpromptly and without further contact or admixture with the main body ofthe oil; the unvolatilized portion collecting at the bottom of the towerand passing from thence to a crude still'battery, where distillation ofthe main body of the oil may be effected within an approximate range of400 F. to 575 F., by passing the oilsuccessively to the various membersof the still battery maintained at increasing temperatures.

From the above description, it will be readily understood that anevaporating tower of this description is susceptible of application,whenever it be desired to remove comparatively volatile portions fromthe main body of an oil in process of treatment. It can therefore becombined with apparatus other than that we have specifically described.For example, in the case of a crude oil, containing a substantiallylarge quantity of water, 3% or more, our evaporating toweris susceptibleof being connected with the vapor outlet of a pipe still of usualconstruction, the residual oil from the tower so connected being fed toa series of stills as hereinbefore described, or to a suitable coolingsystem. I

For example, we show" diagrammatically in Fig. 5 the evaporating tower11 connected to a dehydrator or pipe still 35, of a kind well known tothe art, for the purpose of removing excess water from the crude oil.The crude oil is fed to the pipe still 35 in any convenient manner andis heated there in to a point above the normal boiling point of water.The heated oil is then passed through the evaporating tower 11 in themanner already described, water vapor and a certain proportion of thelighter constituents of the oil passing out at the top of the tower andbeing condensed in a water cooled condenser 36 which may be of anyconven- 105 ient type. The dehydrated oil flowing from the base of thetower is further heated to a temperature suitable for the first still ofthe battery, by heat interchange with the still vapors in the condensers31 and with the re- 110 siduum in the interchangers 28, in the mannoralready described.

If it be desired to dehydrate the crude oil without effecting itsdistillation, the oil flowing from the base of the tower may be run 115directly to an oil cooler of the usual type and thence to storage.

Evidently a tower having the characteristic features we have disclosed,may be utilized at any desired stages in a process of dis- 120tillation, where it is desired to effectively reiove the components ofthe oil volatile at the temperature ruling at said stages, the

main body of the oil being then submitted to further distillation atsuitable temperatures.

While we have shown our invention in but one form it will be obvious tothose skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptibleof various other changes and5130 modifications without departing' fromthe spirit thereof, and we desire, therefore, that only such limitationsshall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art, or as arespecifically set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new anddesire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. Ina separator for removing the morevolatile constituents of a preheated crude oil prior to the chargingthereof into stills, the combination of a substantially closed shellbody, baflles with their lateral edges upstanding to extend the passageof said preheated oil in a tortuous continuous stream therethrough, saidbatfie's being disposed transversely in the shell with theirlongitudinally terminal edges in staggered relation to one another andtheir lateral edges 'in substantially vertical alignment, a heating coilto maintain said volatile constituents at their vaporizing temperature,a scrubber for the vapors evolved, an inlet means for the crude oil, andindependent outlet means for each of V the separated products.

. 2. A separator for removing the more volatile constituents of ahydrocarbon oil prior to its introduction into a battery of stills,

g said separatorcomprising a tower having a lower vaporizing zone and anupper scrubbing zone, an oil distributor between said zones, a steamcoil below the vaporizing zone, oil troughs disposed in verticallystaggered relation to each other between the distributor and the steamcoil, said troughs being laterally spaced from the tower to providevapor spaces therebetween, a vapor outlet in the j scrubbing zone, saidoutlet connecting with a condenser, and a liquid outlet in the vapor-'izing zoneto convey unvaporized oil to a battery of stills.

- 3. In a vaporizin chamber for reheated oils containing fractions oflow boiling point, wherein the temperature of preheat maybe used toeffect the removal-of said fractions prior to the normal distillation ofthe oil, the combination of a plurality of trou hs equidistantlydisposed one below the ot er transversely of the chamber, with theirlongitudinally terminal edges in staggered relation to one another andtheir lateral edges in substantially vertical alignment, said lateraledges being spaced from the chamber so as to provide uninterruptedclearance for vapors therebetween, means 'tofeed oil to the uppertrough, a plurality of perforated diaphragms placedtransversely of thech'am ber above said means, a' vapor outlet at the top of the chamber,an-oil outlet at the botthe base of the chamber below the lowest trough.I v

4. In a surface evaporator tor refining pre- 86 heated crude oils, thecombination of a substantially closed tower, an inlet for the pre- Iheated crude oil, a distributor connecting with the inlet, staggeredtrough-shaped batfies equidistantly disposed below the distributor, insuch a manner as to effect a tortuously cascading downward flow of thecrude oil in a thin continuous stream, the baffles being laterallyspaced from the tower wall so as to define therewith clearances on eachside-of the troughs for the escape of vapors evolved along the'eXtendedsurfaces of the oil stream, a perforatedsteam coil at the base of thetower, a Vapor collecting space above the distributor, perforatedcircular plates horizontally disposed in the vapor collecting space,said plates having their perforations progressively, reduced indiameter, in such a manner that the perforations of an u per plate aresmaller than those of a lower p ate, a tower packing above the'uppermost plate, a vapor outlet above said acking, and a liquid outletat the bottom 0 the tower.

In testimony whereof we hereunto affix our signatures this 18th and 23dday of August, 1924, respectively.- v

' FREDERICK GARTIIEWAI'I'E RING.

PERCY' GEORGE PARIS. I

tom there'bfiand means to inject steam into v i eemmexre ee CORRECTEON.

Patent N0. 1,734,880. v Granted November 5, l929, to

FREDERICK GARTHEWAETE RHNG ET AL.

It' is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specificationof the. above numbered patent requiring eerrectien as 0Uewsz Page 1,line 63, strike out "21 and the perferate plates 22 are" and insertfinsiead "being equidis'tantly spaced and having; page 2, line 4-9, farthe ward "candenseis" read"'c0ndenser"; and than the said Excite-IsPatentshmid be eead with these corrections therein that the same mayeenferm to the reeerd 0f flxe case in the Patent Gffice.

Signed seaied this 3rd day of December, A. D. 1929.

943. EL Meeae (Seal) 1, Acting Gemmfissiener m Patems.

